CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tony Stewart will return to Sprint Cup competition Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway, ending a three-race hiatus taken after he struck and killed a fellow driver during a dirt-track race.

The three-time NASCAR champion has not raced since his car hit Kevin Ward Jr. at an Aug. 9 sprint car event in upstate New York. Stewart pulled out of the NASCAR race at Watkins Glen the next morning, then skipped races at Michigan and Bristol Motor Speedway.

Stewart, who was described by police as “visibly shaken” the night of Ward’s death, has been in seclusion ever since.

Stewart will return to racing with a decision pending on whether he will be charged in Ward’s death. Ontario County Sheriff Philip Povero has said investigators did not have any evidence to support criminal intent by Stewart. Povero said Thursday the investigation is still ongoing.

Hill’s performance in his first career start proved there is plenty of life in the Aggies’ offense without Manziel, a Heisman Trophy winner and first-round selection in the NFL draft. Hill finished 44 of 60 with three touchdowns.

The Gamecocks played their first game since the departure of star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney — and it showed. South Carolina gave up seven TDs on A&Ms first 11 possessions.

Mississippi State rolls past Boise

ATLANTA — Bo Wallace threw four touchdowns passes in a sloppy season opener, and No. 18 Mississippi pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Boise State 35-13.

Shaking off Wallace’s three first-half interceptions, the Rebels got the victory in front of a sparse crowd in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.

Boise State was coming off an 8-5 season, its worst since 1998, and seems to have lost its BCS-busting swagger.

USC back quits, alleges racism

LOS ANGELES — Running back Anthony Brown has quit Southern California’s football team, and coach Steve Sarkisian was stunned Thursday by Brown’s apparent accusations of racism against him on social media.

A photo of the words “Couldn’t play for a racist man!!!!” was posted on what USC said was Brown’s Instagram account. The posting was later deleted.

“Sark treated me like a slave in his Office,” was posted in the caption to the photo, along with the hashtag “Fighton.”

When told about the apparent posts from Brown, who is black, Sarkisian called them “ridiculous,” saying Brown had shown no indication he felt slighted or insulted in their relationship.

The USC program already is reeling from the bizarre saga of cornerback Josh Shaw, who was caught in a lie about the circumstances in which he sprained both of his ankles last weekend. Shaw has been suspended indefinitely.

Dumba, Folin in prospects tourney

Defensemen Matt Dumba and Christian Folin headline a list of 16 Wild prospects the team is sending to the NHL Prospects Tournament Sept. 12-16 in Traverse City, Mich.

Folin, the top college free agent of 2014, is one of four free-agent signees joining the team.

— Pioneer Press

Construction for Wolves delayed

The new training center and offices for the Timberwolves and Lynx won’t be ready until at least next spring because of recently discovered infrastructure issues.

A project that started with a budget of between $15 million and $20 million will increase by “a couple million dollars” to reduce vibrations throughout the rest of what will be known as Mayo Clinic Square in downtown Minneapolis, according to Ted Johnson, chief marketing officer for the Wolves and Lynx.

Mayo Clinic Square, formerly known as Block E across First Avenue North from Target Center, will have a 110,000-square-foot space for Timberwolves and Lynx offices with courts, locker rooms and training areas for the teams.

Once the walls were opened up in late spring, the renovation team found the building didn’t have adequate infrastructure to limit vibrations, Johnson said.

— Andy Greder

The Gophers volleyball team added Laura Caluori of Uzwil, Switzerland, and Carly Rasmussen of Encinitas, Calif., for the 2014 season. Caluori is a 6-foot outside hitter who has played with Swiss junior national teams. Rasmussen is a 5-7 setter who set Canyon Crest Academy’s single-season record for assists. … Chiney Ogwumike of the Connecticut Sun was named WNBA rookie of the year. She averaged 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. … Reserve safety Eilar Hardy has joined four other Notre Dame players being withheld from practice and games as the university investigates possible academic dishonesty and NCAA violations.

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